Foundation.



No. 794,971. y PATBNTEDJULY v18, 1905.

H. ERICSSON.

FQUNDATION.

APLIOA-TION FILED PEB. 23.1904.

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PATBNTED JULY 18; 1905.

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N mw HP APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 23,1904.

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Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ERICSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOUNDATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,971, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed February 23, 1904. serial No. 194,716.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY ERICSSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foundations, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to that class of foundations which support a weight too great for the available area of surface soil to satisfactorily sustain or where for any cause it is necessary to depend upon the underlying strata for support. Various means have been employed heretofore to secure such supportfor example, the well-known piles driven into the earth for that purpose.

The object of my invention is to cheaply and expeditiously produce a foundation of the class described embodying the advantages of any foundation now employed and not open to the disadvantages of wooden piling nor attended with the dangers of sending workmen more than a few feet below the surface of the earth.

To this end my invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure l is a longitudinal section of my foundation as constructed in soil that is not self-sustaining or where water or quicksand is encountered, with a portion of its length broken away, leaving the upper part of the excavation empty. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my foundation as constructed in soil that is self-sustaining, with a portion ofuits length broken away. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing a modiiied form of my foundation near the surface. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 7, showing a foundation partially completed, having a plurality of shafts or columns. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the partlycompleted foundation shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 9, showing a modified form of the foundation shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a' partiallycompleted foundation shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, l is a cylindrical hole cut in the earth. 2 is the usual tubular casing which may be used to maintain the bore should quicksand or water be encountered. 3 is a point where the bore I is enlarged into the part 4. 5 is a funnel-shaped hopper which may be placed in the mouth of the bore to direct the concrete filling into the bore. 6 is the upper surface of this part of the foundation and may be the bottom of the columns 7 or other supporting members of a building or other structure or the under side of a larger surface foundation, as for an engine, the concrete, stone, or brick structure upon which an engine-frame is secured.

In constructing my foundation the hole l, which is of such a cross-section that any of the Well-known devices for boring wells may be employed, is bored to a suitable depth, which may be to a stratum of hard-pan or to bed-rock, although it is not necessary for the shaft end to rest upon any such formation. When the soil through which the hole is bored is not self-supporting or where quicksand or water is encountered, the casing 2 or equivalent means to maintain the bore may be employed, which may be the same as employed in constructing wells; but in self-supporting soil I prefer to dispense with this casing. In any case it is unnecessary for workmen to descend below the point 3 in constructing my foundation, and this, in connection with the comparatively small cross-section of the part l of the excavation, practically eliminates the danger of caving in and consequent loss of life or property. When the bore has been completed, the funnel 5 may be placed over the opening and concrete introduced, falling by gravity from the mouth of the funnel, the impact of the falling mass thoroughly tamping that upon which it falls and rendering any other tamping unnecessary until near the surface 6. When the point 3 is reached, any means may be employed to form the portion 4 and later iill the same' with concrete.

It is obviously immaterial whether the porgeneral dimensions as the remainder of the tion 4: is formed by abruptly enlarging the section. bore 1, as shown in Fig. 1, or by gradually in- 4. Afoundation member,comprising a plu- 40 creasing its size, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. rality of concrete piles or pillars each of sub- 1t is also obvious that in some cases the part stantially uniform cross-sectional area its en- 4 maybe enlarged and a plurality of columns tire length, united at their upper ends by a 1 arranged to support it. similar section, formed integral with each Having thus described my improvement, pillar. 45 it is obvious that immaterial modifications 5. An article of the kind described, com- IO may be made without departing from the prisinganintegralconcrete pile or pillar,com

spirit of my invention. Hence I do not Wish posed of a plurality of similar regularlyto be understood as limiting myself to the eX- formed sections each of substantially uniform act form and construction shown. cross-sectional area its entire length. 50

Having thus described my invention, what 6. A foundation, comprising a plurality of I5 Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters substantially vertical concrete shafts or col- Patent, is-v umns, positioned wholly below the surface of 1. A foundation member, comprisingan inthe earth, the cross-section of each column tegral concrete pile or pillar, composed of a being substantially uniform its entire length, 55 plurality of similar regularly-formed sections an extension provided at the upper end of V each of substantially uniform'cross-sectional said columns connecting the same and formed areaits entire length, the connections between integral therewith. /w/Mgktge sections forming auniform shoulder about 7. A foundation member, comprising a pluthe'pillar. rality of concrete piles or pillars each of sub- 60 2. Aiirticle of the kind described, comstantially uniform cross-sectional area its enprising an integral concrete pile or pillar tire length, united at their upper ends by a composed of a plurality of regularly-formed similar section formed integral with each pilsections of different cross-sectional areas, the lar, the connection between the pillars and connections between the sections forming a said' upper section.forrning a shoulder at sub- 65 shoulder at substantially a right angle to the stantially a right angle to the length of said length of the pile. sections.

3. A foundation member, comprising an in- In testimony WhereofIhave hereunto signed tegral concrete pile or pillar composed of a my name in the presence of two (2) subscribplurality of sections of different cross-secing witnesses. tional areas, each section being of substan- HENRY ERICSSON.

tially-uniform cross-sectional area its entire Witnesses: length, the lower surface of each section b e- BURTON H. HILLs, ing substantially horizontal and of the same CHARLES I. COBB. 

